Combined stock and gondola car.



E. E. BETTS.

comsmao STOCK AND GONDOLA CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 19 16.

Patented se t. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rnvrrnn @TATEd rarnnr oration.

EDWARD E. BETTS, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED- STOCK AND GONDOLA CAR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, EDWARD E. Bn'r'rs, a citizen of the United States, resident of Evanston, county ofCook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Stock and Gondola Cars, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions. I 7

My invention relates to railway cars and has for its object the provision of a car which will be suitable for transporting live stock and also for transporting such merchandise o freight as is ordinarily carried in gondola cars. A further object is to make such provision as will permit an ordinary stock-car to be converted and render it suitable for receiving, carrying and discharging such gondola freight.

As is well known coal is carried from the cars for the transportation of coal by reason i of the enforced semi-open nature of the sides of these cars and the expense of loading coal into and unloading same from suchcars, and gondola cars are hence universally used for this purpose.

As a result great numbers of empty gondola cars travel east and a similar number of empty stock-cars travel west. i

A combination stock and gondola ca would hence obviously effect a great economy as a result of a reduction of the number of cars in effecting a given amount of transportation, reduction of the number of non-paying car miles,- reduction of initial investment, wear and tear, engines required, and all of the other attendant and collateral economies which would arise therefrom.

Inasmuch as-all of the features of my invention relate to the car-body and are entirely independent of the running gear, illustration of and reference to the latter is omitted from the specification and drawings.

The annexed drawings and the following Specification of Letters'latent.

Patented Sept. ii, ram.

Application filed July 2c, 1916. Serial No. 111,536.

means, however, constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the prin' ciple of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings I F igure'l represents a side elevation of one end of a car-body embodying my invention. F ig. 2 represents a double transverse sec tion, the left hand portion of the figure representing a section taken upon the plane indioated by line Il -11 m Fig. 1, and the right hand portion a section taken upon the plane indicated by line IIII in said figure. i

Fig. 3 represents a transverse sectionof a number of the sideslats of my improved car, and upon an enlarged scale.

Fig. l represents a transverse section of a number of side slats of a modified form of my invention, also upon an enlarged scale.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a car-body which in its general design is similar to that of an ordinary stock-car having slatted sides, closed ends, a roof and the usual side door openings provided with the usual side doors (the latternot being shown).

Instead, however, of making the floor of one solid or unitary construction, it is provided with a multiplicity of discharge openings, 1, Fig. 2, suitable doors 2 being provided for closing these openings, and suitable devices being also provided for operating these doors, the latter dropping downwardly as in the case of bottom discharging doors of an ordinary gondola car. The form of these doors and the means for operating same beingold and well-known, it will not be necessary to give a detailed description thereof. Also as in the ordinary gondalacar with bottom discharging doors, these latter are located upon opposite sides of the vertical median longitudinal plane X-X, Fig. 2, of the car. Of course, when the car is used as a stock-car, these doors do not necessarily perform any function, but

when the car is loaded with coal. or the like, its contents may be discharged as in the case of a gondola car.

In order to facilitate the loading of the car with coal or similar freight, I provide the roof 3 with a multiplicity of charging openings l, as shown in Fig. 2. These openings are closed bymeans of suitable doors 6. In the form of device shown in Fig. 2, these openings are located in the middle of the roof, and the doors are hinged at their outer ends to the fixed portion of to a section 7 of the runway which is usually provided at the top of these-cars. The doors when closed rest upon the car-lines 8, aswill be understood.

By m ans f these open ngs, ther cre, it willhe seen that coal or similar freightmay e read ly oaded int th car. nd n the case of coal, the car may be run under a coal tipple and charged therefrom.-

The two ides of the ar are pr ided with the usual central longitudinal strips 9, Figs, 1 and 2, and with the usual vertically spaced slats 10, which form inter: mediate. $321068 for ventilation in the ll$llill manner. Each of the. slats of theseries of ats be ow th centr l st ip 9 is provide with an inclined plate 11 secured to -the outersurface and near the upper edge thereof by means of suitable bolts 12, 5 shown in Fig. 3., the degree. of inclination being preferably made steep substantially forty five degrees (45) at least. These plates extend upwardly and outwardly with reference to the above mentioned median Pl ne, an theincl n d porti n h r of. is 1ea cd opposite the n er ediate space hich is i diately adjacent, to the upper edge of hat slat to which the plate s cure .It

will thus be seen that longitudinal openings are formed between. the slats. which are in part at least bounded by inclined; surfaces. Those faces of the, adjacent slats which are opposite each other may, if desired, in anticipation of their wearing, be beveled as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3. In such event, the entire lowerend of the space is bounded by an inclined plane.

lt will be seen, that by means of the above described, construction, while. the required,

air spaces are provided, the character of the surfaces bounding same s, such that they will prevent any cons derable amount at coal or similar i i-eight from passing out of on becoming inadvet'tently d iseharged from the car. The line of pressure oi the coal} being sltbStfllttially fa ty-five degrees (4:5 as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, it, will be; seen that the pressure will be directed substantially at right, angles to. that portion f he bounding: u iaccs of the intemnedia e spaces along which the coal would; have to. travel when passing out through such spaces, Very little tendency, therefore, would exist tor the coal to so pass out, as; will be readily understood,

The tlbDYQrClGfiGlTlbBd: construction oi slats ay e. m difi d as how in Fig. in which the old form 0t slat-s is replaced by The upper portionrof the sides of the car;

' maybe constructed exactly as in the case of an'ordinary stock-car, suitable upper side doors 18 being-provided and suitable feed racks 14 being placed in the inside, as shown in Fig. 2. 1 i

' This upper part may be built in this mannerinasmuch as it will be understoodthat when the car is used in place of a gondola it would never be loaded above the gondola line, that is, above the strips 9. a

nasmuch as, thec dinary sidedocr c tr ticniis not suc as W ld Withstand any considerable BIQSSLUSE: from within, I;

pref r, when the car. is. used at gondola, cbcard upthese s de openings fromv the ins de, s is customary when using an. 0

d nery ox car for: transporting coal, or the ke. er these conditions, th refo e, it

ould not ce necessary toprcvide-the slats as abo e. described in connection with the inainside slats of; the car.

It ill therefore appearthatithe above-1 described car embodyingmy. invention 11 cludesall of the essential and required elements, ofastock-car andiof va gondola car,

d ay he produced hyrezconstructing an car, having an, unobstructed interior space,

tllQSlClQS of thecar being formed of spaced slats, the uppee sunface of which slats, below the gondola line, are steeply inclined up weirdly andv outwardly, the, surface width with respect tothe spaces between the slats and the angle. of inclination being such, as to adapt thecar to the transport ozfi coal, ore, and-- similar freight, in bulk, while, without change, permittingadequate. ventilation throngl-iout the car when the can" is. used for the transportation oi live-stochthc car be ing provided withtop and, bottom openings and doors therefon 21A com ined stock and fveightcar hav ing a roof, floor, ends-tend sides, togetherwith s de doors, said sidesbcingbuiltoiiverticailly" spaced slats. forming longitudinal. 1

openings, each, on? the slats; below the: .gpne

clh lime halving; a inpen surface inclined. upwandly and outwardly with reierenceto.

e vertical longitudinal. plane oi the car,

the openings, above the gondola, line being bcuiided; by horizontal. planes; the' moi be? ing provided with a multiplicity of charging openings upon opposite sides of the said plane, together with suitable doors therefor, and the floor being provided with a multiplicity of discharging openings upon opposite sides of said plane, together with suitable doors therefor.

3. A cattle care having plates attached individually to the strips thereof, and steeply inclined relatively thereto, each plate and strip forming an individual slat, as far up as the gondola line of the car, whereby escape of coarse material through the crevices as far as the gondola line is prevented and the car is usable without change as a gondola car.

4. A combined stock and freight car having a side provided with longitudinal slats vertically spaced from each other, each slat having an inclined plate secured thereto and inclined relative thereto so as to be located laterally opposite the opening immediately above such slat; the inclination of such plate being upward and outward with reference to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the car.

5. A combined stock and freight car having longitudinal slats forming permanently unobstructed openings, such slats being each provided with a plate secured thereto and inclining relatively thereto and upwardly and outwardly therefrom with reference to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the car.

6. A stock car having its lower and adjacent side slats provided with plates inclined thereto, said plates inclining upwardly and outwardly and extending so as to be located laterally opposite the longitudinal openings formed by said slats.

7. A combined stock and freight car having a side provided with longitudinal slats vertically spaced from each other, each slat having an inclined plate projecting above the top of the slat secured to its outer surface and extending upwardly and outwardly with reference to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the car.

8. A combined stock and freight car having a side provided with longitudinal slats vertically spaced from each other, each slat having a plate inclined thereto secured to its outer surface and extending so as to be located laterally opposite the opening, im-

nediately above said slat; the inclination of Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the such plate being upward and outward with reference to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the car.

9. A combined stock and freight car, having longitudinal slats forming permanently unobstructed openings, each such slat being provided with a plate secured to the outside thereof and inclining upwardly and outwardly with reference to the vertical longitpdinal median plane of the car and to the s at.

10. A stock-car having its lower and adjacent side-slats provided with plates secured to their outer surfaces, said plates inclining upwardly and outwardly and extending so as to be located laterally opposite'the longitudinal openings formed by said slats.

11. A combined stock and freight car having a side provided with longitudinal slats vertically spaced from each other, each slat having a plate inclined to the slat secured thereto and extending from the upper edge thereof and so as to be located laterally opposite the opening immediately above such slat; the inclination of such plate being up ward and outward with reference to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the car.

12. A combined stock and freight car having longitudinal slats forming permanently unobstructed openings, such slats being each provided with a plate inclined thereto and inclining upwardly and outwardly with reference to the vertical longitudinal median plane of the car, and from the upper edge of such slat.

13. A stock car having its lower and adjacent side slats provided with plates secured thereto, said plates extending upwardly and outwardly and inclining to the slat, from the upper edges of the slats, so as to be located laterally opposite the longitudinal openings formed by said slats.

14. A car usable for either stock or bulky freight transportations without change, said car being provided with ventilating sides,

4 the said sides being constructed of horizontal strips as far only as the gondola line, each of said strips being provided with a part extending upwardly and outwardly past the openings between said strip and the strip above, at a steep inclination, the bottom of the car being provided with means permitting freight discharge.

Signed by me, this 24th day of July, 1916.

EDWARD E. BETTS.

Washington, D. 0. 

